THE WEEK.

Otago Witness, Issue 2604, 10 February 1904, Page 43

THE WEEK.

" JCuaquam aliud Datura, allud sapientia dint."— Jctimai,. "Good nature and good sens« must ever join."— Pon.

Negotiations are now finally broken ofl between Japan and Russia, The Beginning and at any moment maj^ of the End. come the news that the

fiist shot has been fired in a great war, the end of which no man can at present foresee. Right up to the last Japan would seem to have acted with wonderful moderation, and to have \isedl every means short of absolute capitulation 1 to avert the beginning of a terrible struggle, but Russia has shown her accustomed duplicity in diplomacy, and even now tries to fasten upon Japan the responsibility of declaring war. The sympathy of Greafc Britain and America is all on the side of Jypan, but in the beginning it may be assumed that the two nations will he allowed to fight it out. In the event of Japan being worsted in the struggle it .'a impossible to foretell what may be the outcome. The improvement in the means, of communication has brought both New Zealand and Australia into such close relations with the Far East that already the Melbourne Age has been considering the contingency of an invasion of the Commonwealth by either Japan or Russia. The Age argues that because such a contingency is very remote, it does not follow that ifc ought to be neglected. The invasion wou d probably take the form of a raiding force of several cruisers, which might levy tribute on the coast towns by threatening bombardment. The Age, after reviewing the state of the Commonwealth's defensive force and the rate at which money is being voted for its development, comes to '■be not very cheerful conclusion that Australian defence will not be efficient before the yexr 1912. The comment is interesting as showing how near home, comparatively speak" ing, the seat of war will be, and to what an extent New Zealand and Austiuliaa interests are bound up in the struggle. Every incident of the vsar will, therefore, be watched by New Zealanders with an interest akin to that which invested tha conflict in South Attica a<. soon as tne question of contingents was first mooted ; for who can tell (.whether, before the Far East is pacified, some of our boys may not be called upon to take a hand?

ILe two rival uow«is now stand face to

face, and an examination ef The Stieiigth their respective na\al a r .<i

oftlie military strengths make*, at Rival Nations, this iuncture, an interesti ig-

study. The Japanese carv comprises six battleships, six armoured causers, and 14 protected cruisers, or a total fleet of 26 vessels. Russia has in Far Eastern waters eight battleships, five atmoured cruisers, and eight protected cruisers, or a total of 21 ships. Both Powers also possess strong torpedo flotillas. Tht Japanese fleet has not only the advantage in numbers, but her boats are of a superior build — superior both in weight of metal and in piotection. The fact tiiafc one of the Russian gunboats was dockhig at Nagasaki when negotiations were brokr-n off, and in all probability will be unable to get out to sea, will help to increase Japan's superiority. Japan has also iLe advantage of possessing four dockyaids we.l equipped with modern plant, and quite callable of constructing and repairing vessels of any class. These will serve her as s]/ l errdid naval bases. Russia is in the dilemma that her docks at Port Arthur are not fully complete, and the inner harbour is already reported to be ice-blocked. The Vladivostock docks are always shut in by ice during winter, so that Russia L is. no facilities foi the repair and maintenance of her fleet. It would therefore appear I nut Japan may endeavour to force a fleet action, whilst Russia's tactics will be to avoid the encounter at sea and cause the first action to be fought on land. With the militia, the land strength of the Japanese may be considered as consisting of over 43,000 officers and men, 1200 guns, and 90,030 horses. The extent of the available Russian force is an uncertain quantity, but it is estimated by well-informed authoritie. as between 150,000 and 200,000 men. The Japanese troops are generally credited with a good deal of dash, but how far this will ia ail against the dogged pertinacity of iho Russian hu-s yet to be proved. If the Japanese can keep the seaway open she Ins exceptional facilities for landing a large expeditionary force either in Korea or in. Maichuria. On the other hand, Russia's land communications are exceedingly defective, and the Trans-Siberian railway presents many vulnerable points of attack. Jn cider to follow the course of the campaign a careful study of the map is necessary, a"d the map of the seat of war whicli appear* elsew here in this week's Witness vail give our readers an opportunity to work up the geography of the Far East.

The dangers which would attend the Russification of China are so apThe parent and have been so Japaiiisation often alluded to that they of Asia. are familiar to all students of history, but the theory tJ'at the Japanese have designs upon tbe whole continent of Asia is a comparatively new one. This theory is ingeniously elaborated in the London Spectator by Mr F. J Norman, the naper contenting itsslr ■\vitli publishing the aiticle v, ithout either* repudiating or endorsing it, merely pointing out that if the conclusion drawn be a true one, it is of vitpl importance to Gve.xx, Biitain. Mr Norman asserts that t'^e J.ipanisation of Amu is a favourite topic of discussion among a certain nnd very, influential claba of JaiitUiese^ and is by

them considered r hj no means impossible ta&k. The idea i* stated to be not a new one, for if Japanese histories are to be believed, Hde^oshi, the so-called NapoUon of Japan, was, revolving a scheme with that Object in view when he died in 15P8. At the time of the Chino-Japanese war a <eitain professor of the Imperial University of-Tokio is r«r>orted to have said: '"It .s not only necessary for us as a nation to consider and prepare for the subjugating to cvi laws of the neighbouring mainland ot 'Asia and the countries bordering on or; side of the Pacific, but also to ponder deeply over the ways and means of how best eventually to bring the proud and arrogant nations of the West to sue *«w mercy at our feet." As proving the correctness of his theory, Mr Norman quotes a telegram sent from Shanghai by Reuter an •November last to the effect that the Japannese are secretly organising an Asiatic league, with its headquarters at Tokio, ■with the avowed purpose of cementing the peoples and nations of the East, so as to enable them not only to stand against the copies of the West, but eventually to £weep them out from all countries aid lands Asiatic. In this idea of tie establishment of a Japanese hegemony for the liberation of the Orient from the yoke of tfca Occident, Mr Norman scents danger to .the Indian Empire. Whatever grounds Mr Norman may have for his theory, one tbia< 5S5 S certain.: Great Britain has far more to fear from a Russian than from a Japanese domination of the Far East and in concluding the recent treaty with Japan a wise and statesmanlike step was taken. That treaty provides that England is <o remain strictly neutral so long as no nth -r nation interferes, but in the event of .my ether power coming to Russia's assistance, tlrn England must aid her ally. Whetu»v tuch a contingency will arise the next few srionths will probably show.

At the commencement of a new session Mr Deakin, the Federal Prerarliamentary mier, finds himself in an Prospects awkward situation. In p acs " in the of two well-defined part'es Commonwealth, the new Parliament contn^s of three minorities. In ihe House of Representatives there are 28 Ministerialists, 26 Oppositionists, and 21 Labour members. In the Senate the Ministerial mart* have a following of nine, the Opy> sition number 13, and the Labour mrty counts 14. Thus the Labour party, has slightly increased its strength, s-nll holds the balance of power. Mr Deakin has publicly stated that a coalition is absolutely necessary if the business of the country is to be properly carried on, but in which direction the coalition will iiroceeJ. does not yet appear. It is not part of the Labour party's policy to make co.ilitions; they prefer alliances, of a temporary nt-ture, for which they extort unreasoniole trains. In short, the rule of the Labour *party depends upon the maintenance of the .pi-esent divided condition of Parliament : the union of the Government and the Opposition would cut their claws. There lie eigns that the fiscal question — the mam plank of difference between Mr Deakin and -Mr G. H. Reid — will take second place, and that the burning question of the new sessr>ii will be the struggle for supreraaiy between the employers_ and the Labour party. With the idea of precipitating -he issue, Mr Deakin proposes to bring on the Federal Arbitration and Conciliation Bill as the first measure of the session, and IJvj debate on that measure will show whim way the wind blows. Should M^ G. H. Seid elect to join forces with Mr Deauin to prevent the extreme socialistic ideas ot ths Labour party being carried into effect, then the situation will be altogether altered. In the last Federal Parliament the Labour party ruled the roost, although commanding only 23 votes out of a total of 111. In the present Parliament they number 35, and doubtless reckon on carrying all before them, but a coalition such as we Lave [hinted at would deal a crushing blow at Iheii fondest hopes. It is recorded of 'Arnold, of Rugby, that when contempla*i.ig the growth of those rising commonwealths an the Australian colonies from time tn tinn, he entertained an ardent desire to pass the close of his life in their midst in the hope of influencing, if possible, wait he tonceived to be the germs of the future destinies of England and of the world. Tint if Australia holds in her bosom such potent germs, the policy of the Labour party as interpreted by Air Tom Mann would he n the direction of eradicating and destroying tLor<i rather than permitting them to ino,ula!e the whole nation and perform rhe.r beneficent' work.

The pungent criticism which, has \:e±n levelled again&t the m-vv The Rpforia of school syllabus has not 'ueaa Cur Educational without effect, a witn' s.^ System. the labours of the confers :n

of school inspectors nw sitting in Wellington. Following upon this, the syllabus is to be submitted 'o a committee of school teachers, and nbn fir7ally~ s pasKed by Mr Seddon in his en pa* 1 it v of Minister of Education, we are promised tint it shall be the most perfect S3 r llaoas in the Southern Hemisphere. The goal to be kept in view, however, if education in New Zealand is to keep pace with the times, is a staff of perfectly-trained teachers, and a simple syllabus. An efficient teacher can do wonders with an ordinary syll-ibus. •whilst given the best syllabus in the w.;:M, and place it in the hands of an incapable teacher, and the worst results will follow. Such questions as the attracting of a sufficient supply of the best brains in the colony and their proper training for the teach ng protession ought to take rank before \he more subordinate matter of the syll-ibas. The system of education in vogue in Germany is often held up as a model to emulate, but contrast the status of the teacher in Germany with the teacher in New Zealard In Germany the teacher is proud of his profession, and his country is proud of him, and the reason is not far to seek. Not only is the German teacher highh* trained, the period of training extending ovf-.r six years, but he has an abso'ute

suciirily of tenure 1 , is entitled to a pen^un a f tei 10 yeprs' seivice, and to a full i)fnsio: at the age of 65. Here in this cooiiy teachers are so ill-paid, and with the &vp nrari uation scheme still m abeyance, the provision for their future is so visionary, that not only do many of the best men ries^rt the service whenever inducement offers in oiLer walks of life, but it i& becoming increasingly difficult to keep up the supply of men teachers. If the standard of our national character depends upon the nature of the education which is given to our children, and if, in its turn, the efficiency of the education hinges upon the training of the teacher, then too much attention cannot be given to the latter. It is to be hoped, therefore, that as the outcome of these educational conferences and committees, not only will the syllabus receive attention, but some comprehensive plan for the efficient training of the teaching staff may also be evolved.

It is a little disappointing to our selfcomplacency in matters ed'jMtscliief cational to be told that urn of too early 9ystem is all behind the Specialisation, times, and that we have too

jealously guarded our ~>vFabus a& a thing so sacred that it has been sacrilege even to improve it. Such, ho-v-ever, is the dictum of no less an authority thiin the president of the New Zeal.u-.d Educational Institute (Mr T. Hughes, 8.A.), and many of the points brought out by him in proof of this assertion in Li% address at the recent annual meeting of the institute, are well -worthy of considerotu-r. The growing inclination in our schools to teach nothing but what is pleasant serves to introduce the following apt quotation f'.om Sir J. Stuart Mill: — "I rejoice 'n the decline of the old methods, which, however, did succeed in forming habits of application but the new, as it seems to me, is training a race of men who will be incapable of doing anything which is disagreeable to them." This is one of the dangers of following too closely in the footsteps of Froebel which has to be guarded against. Indeed, in the glamour of what is called tiie scientific method in education there :s a' ways the fear of swinging the pendulum too far in the opposite direction. Another danger alluded to by Mr Hughes, and which in these days when the clamour for technical education is so loud is a very real one, is the attempt at too c.iriy specialisation, or preparation for trade. On tlii's point Mr Hughes remarks: "In France it is admitted that the attempt to specialise li>'> early has been a failuie. We sh'jald, I think, refuse to kill talent by an artificial blunting of natural development. We can at least offer a broad, general, elemenrary education, in which manual instruction in vaiious forms provides a valuable hand-;uil-eyct training for the child who is compelled to earn his living at the age of 13 or 14, and allow him to continue his ediicatio'i m a continuation or technical school according to hi<- natural taste," Neither in Germany mr hi America is technical education, allowed to interfere with the general traiaing gn pii in the primary schools, but is relegated to its proper place in the higher technical school. The curriculum of a German primary school is simplicity itsvlf comprising religion, reading, writing. speaking, geography, arithmetic, simpler elements of geometry, history, elementary sc:ence in form of object lessons, nacure study, drill and gymnastics for the boys, needlework for tlie girls, and singing. It is a safe ]3roposition that elementary tiaiuin.T should embrace the training ol all the fa ulties of the ch : ld, leaving him to specialise in the direction of his particular bent after he has had the foundations TdiiJ^ laid Thus and thus only can we hcp° to produce the all-round man who is The type of the best citizen.